SPEED-ACCURACY TRADE-OFF PARADIGM IN COOPERATIVE TRANSPORT OF ANTS

ModeloBI.csv: database for the binomial model
results.csv: database with consensus time data, speed index, and group sinuosity
scripts_tradeoff: scripts in R
The transport of an object among multiple individuals, known as cooperative transport, requires consensus, which takes time. Hasty decisions, especially in competitive situations, could compromise the efficiency of this process. To evaluate this hypothesis, we used ants and artificially generated interspecific competition scenarios by applying formic acid—a defensive alarm pheromone—in various volumes simulating attacks from 10, 100, 500, and 1000 ants, along with a control using distilled water. To stimulate cooperative transport, we provided protein baits and measured the efficiency of this behavior by recording the time taken to initiate transport, estimating the speed index (speed/number of ants), the tortuosity of the transport trajectory, and directional bias. In the scenario with the highest level of simulated competition, we observed a significantly lower percentage of cooperative transport compared to the other scenarios with lower competition. Regarding the efficiency estimators, we found that the consensus time decreases as the level of competition increases. Additionally, the ants exhibited more tortuous trajectories in all competitive scenarios compared to the distilled water control. However, no differences were observed in the speed index between the competitive scenarios and the control, nor was there a directional bias. Our results suggest that decision-making in cooperative transport is mediated by a balance between speed and precision in competitive contexts, highlighting the high efficiency and accuracy of this behavior in the provisioning of nests.